sartorial interlude

I form attachments to certain items of clothing and have difficulty parting with them. In no particular order, amongst my favourites are.

A pair of combat trousers hacked into shorts. I noticed another thread-bare patch just below their right knee yesterday. I fear these shorts are not long for this world. The crotch is about to go; held up to the light you've been able to see through them for ages. These shorts have been with me for a little over fifteen years. A guy I shared a tent with on an expedition in Chile in 1993 was throwing them away and I rescued them. They have a 36inch waist that I keep permanantly reefed in to fit my 30inch waist. The effect of this is a gathering at that back that means I look like I've shit myself. I'm going to really sad when they finally die. However, the sadness will be tempered with the happiness of knowing I have a second pair, from the same place, that are just waiting to be hacked off at the knee.

From around the same era is a Berghaus fleece I bought in Kingston-Upon-Thames. It has a pocket across the back, a little like the pocket you may find on a cycling top. It is Polartec 100, so fairly light, and hangs loose at the waist and cuffs. I am not sure it always hung so loose, but it has had so much wear that it is now somewhat shapeless. It also has a few holes - character. I've work it to the pub, under a drysuit, while snowboarding - all over the place. I have never found another fleece to equal it, and wish I'd bought more than just the one when I found it, in a sale, all those years ago.

Patagonia made base layers from a fabric named capilano (or similar) that was so far ahead of it's time it just ain't funny. I found one of these, in a rather fetching orange, in a TK Maxx kick-out store. When I first bought it I would have been planing on using it as a base layer, but since it has become my favourite running top. It too has holes, it has pulled threads and it need only come within 10ft of me before it starts to stink, having been so heavily sweated through that it will never come clean. I ran the Six Foot Track in it this year. It's great. It doesn't pil when rucksack straps rub it. Sal has bought me new running tops in the vain hope that this one will be thrown away. No chance.